Art Event at the Wegner Grotto County ParkOn Saturday, August 26th the Wegner Grotto County Park will host “Art Outdoors...Click here for more

New Indexes and Updates to MonroeCountyHistory.orgThe Monroe County Local History Room has just added two new indexes and several updates to its award-winning genealogy and local history website, www...Click here for more

Gravestone Cleaning Kit & D/2 Quart

Clean your ancestor’s gravestone the same way the professionals clean the White House, Gettysburg Monuments, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier!
The Gravestone Cleaning Kit provides you everything you need to safely clean a dozen gravestones.
Algae, lichen, and fungi can obscure gravestone lettering and be hazardous to the stone itself. Removing this biological growth will make the stone last longer and easier to read.
The Gravestone Cleaning Kit contains all of the proper tools necessary for cleaning gravestones safely and efficiently. Assembled by experienced gravestone cleaning professionals, this kit includes: D/2 Biocidal Cleaner, spray bottle, poly scrub brush, denture brush, plastic scraper, wood pick, and instructions. You just need to add water!
Kit created by Save Your Stones, a professional, western Wisconsin-based gravestone cleaning company. Please note that the cleaning kit is not recommended for fragile gravestones. For gravestone cleaning questions or to hire Save Your Stones to clean your ancestor's gravestone for you, visit www.saveyourstones.com

$30.00

D/2 Gravestone Cleaner - Quart size

The ONLY gravestone cleaner trusted and used by the professionals!
D/2 Biological Solution has been successfully used to clean millions of buildings and monuments. From the White House to Arlington Cemetery, D/2 is trusted to work and keep on working when results matter.
D/2 Biological Solution is specially formulated to remove environmental pollution, dirt, and staining from biological soils such as mold, mildew, lichen, and algae from indoor and outdoor structures. D/2 is safe for stone and safe for you!
Quart size cleans over a dozen standard-sized gravestones. Comes with cleaning instructions.

$19.95

Gravestone Cleaning Kit

Clean your ancestor’s gravestone the same way the professionals clean the Gettysburg Monuments, the Alamo, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier!
The Gravestone Cleaning Kit provides you everything you need to safely clean gravestones: a poly scrub brush, detail brush, lichen scraper, inscription pick, and cleaning instructions.
Algae, lichen, and fungi can obscure gravestone lettering and be hazardous to the stone itself. Removing this biological growth will make the stone last longer and easier to read.
The Gravestone Cleaning Kit contains all of the proper tools necessary for cleaning gravestones safely and efficiently. Save time and money by purchasing all the proper gravestone cleaning tools in one Kit.
Add a quart bottle of D/2 Gravestone Cleaner and really see the results!
**Please note that the cleaning kit is not recommended for fragile gravestones.

$15.00

Elroy-Sparta Bike Trail: The Old Railroad Trail DVD

Made in 1967 to promote the Nation's first "rails-to-trails" bike trail, this color film takes the viewer on a nostalgic tour of the bike trail from Elroy to Sparta and all points in between. Includes stops in Wilton, Kendall, Norwalk, Tomah, Monroe County cranberry country, Mill Bluff State Park and Wildcat Mountain State Park. Railroad history buffs will appreciate catching glimpses of remnants of the former Chicago Northwestern Railroad that have long since disappeared. DVD. Approximate run time 15 minutes.

$12.50

"Are You Ready? A Civil Defense Training Film" DVD

Are you ready for drama?…adventure?…thrills?…right in your own backyard? Then get ready for, “Are You Ready?” a 19 minute film created in 1972 that portrays real-life disasters as emergency response teams race to the rescue from Norwalk to Sparta to Tomah. Local officials manage the simulated chaos from their command center at the Monroe County Courthouse. Monroe County residents--young and old— comprise the cast of dozens. Created by Don Goodman for the Monroe County Office of Civil Defense in 1972 to demonstrate how to set up a Civil Defense operation in case of major emergency. This historic film was originally shot on 16 mm film but was transferred to DVD in 2008 in a preservation project sponsored by the Monroe County Local History Room. A listing of all local “actors” and shot locations is included with the DVD. Full color

$12.50

Fort McCoy DVD

Fort McCoy DVD, based on the true story of a family living at Camp McCoy during World War II. Filmed in 2011, rated R for some violence.
From the cover by monterey media, "Eric Stoltz gives one of his most powerful performances as Frank Stirn, who moves with his family to become a barber for the American Army and POW Camp at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, in the summer of 1944. Embittered that he cannot fight, Frank must take a stand when a Nazi SS Officer threatens his wife (Kate Connor, playing her real-life grandmother). Her Catholic sister falls for a Jewish soldier haunted by the battle of Monte Cassino and the death of his best friend. Camryn Manheim is their audacious friend who encourages the couple, while Seymour Cassel is the priest who cannot. Frank's daughter befriends a German prisoner boy during this magical summer, but war still finds its victims even thousands of miles from the battlefields in rural America."

$19.95

"Celebrate Sparta" Double-Feature DVD

This "Celebrate Sparta" DVD features 2 nostalgic programs on 1 DVD. (1) “Sparta’s 100th Birthday Parade.” A 20 min. vintage film taken of the July 1951 Centennial Parade in Sparta. Enjoy the nostalgia as you view dozens of floats rolling down Water Street, each one sponsored by a local business or organization. This DVD includes bonus insert listing all parade entrants and special reprint of a Sparta newspaper article recapping the parade. Any fan of Sparta will enjoy this wonderfully preserved full color film available for the first time.
(2) “The History of Sparta: A Sesquicentennial Celebration, 1851-2001,” is a video created by the Sparta Sesquicentennial Committee in 2001 in recognition of the city’s 150th birthday. Over 1 hour long, this historical retrospective of Sparta features memorable historic images and insightful commentary about Monroe County’s Seat. Full color.

$14.95

Original painting of Sparta Ward School

Watercolor painting of the Sparta Ward School by Lorraine Strait, a Sparta resident who lived on Spring Street, Sparta, near the school. Nicely framed and matted. 23.5 x 18 inches. This item was donated to the Local History Room to sell as a fundraiser.

Wegner Grotto "Bremen Ocean Liner" Postcard

Sparta 18”x24” Historical Montage Print

Historic montage print of Sparta, WI, is a “Time Capsule In Art.” Artist Bruce Loeschen captures Sparta in a moment in time while referencing its past. Depicted on this 18”x 24” print are Sparta’s historic buildings and notable residents, sponsoring businesses, organizations, churches, and schools. The prints are on quality linen paper and are suitable for framing.

$10.00

Monroe County Courthouse Centennial Commemorative Poster

Monroe County Courthouse Centennial Commemorative Poster: 1896-1996. Full-color, HUGE 18" x 38" poster commemorating the 100th birthday of the Sparta landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places. One of Sparta's Historic Four Corners.

$2.00

First Day Issue Wisconsin Sesquicentennial Collector's Envelope with Special Pictorial Cancellation

First Day Issue Wisconsin Sesquicentennial Collector's Envelope with Special Pictorial Cancellation! Attention stamp collectors! Check out this special envelope commemorating the official recognition of the WI State Sesquicentennial celebration in 1998. This envelope features a color drawing of the Historic Monroe Co. Courthouse on the left side, an unique "FIRST DAY ISSUE" post mark and the special pictorial cancellation, as well as two Wisconsin stamps featuring the farm landscape design.

Wisconsin Sesquicentennial Collector's Envelope with Special Pictorial Cancellation! Attention stamp collectors! Check out this special envelope commemorating the official recognition of the WI State Sesquicentennial celebration in 1998. This envelope features a color drawing of the Historic Monroe Co. Courthouse on the left side, as well as a cancelled Wisconsin stamp featuring the farm landscape design.

$2.00

Stars And Stripes Commemorative Hot Plate

Commemorative hot plate featuring a full color rendition of "Betsy Ross and the First Stars and Stripes" by John Ward Dunsmore. Cork backing. 6 inches in diameter. Produced and sold for America's Bicentennial Celebration. SAVE when you purchase all three commemorative hot plates.

$2.00

Sparta Centennial Mug

Own a piece of Sparta Centennial history. White coffee mug with green printing features portraits of Sparta founder William Petit (1851), Sparta Mayor Thomas Tyler (1883), and Sparta Mayor Thomas Gomez (1983). Mug was issued in 1983 in commemoration of Sparta's 100 year anniversary of becoming an incorporated city. A few of these mugs were recently found in storage and are for sale until they are gone!

$6.95

Spirit of '76 Commemorative Hot Plate

Commemorative hot plate featuring a full color rendition of "The Spirit of '76" by A.M. Willard. Cork backing. 6 inches in diameter. Produced and sold for America's Bicentennial Celebration. SAVE when you purchase all three commemorative hot plates.

$2.00

Washington Crossing the Delaware Commemorative Hot Plate

Commemorative hot plate featuring a full color rendition of "Washington Crossing the Delaware" by Emanuel Leutze. Cork backing. 6 inches in diameter. Produced and sold for America's Bicentennial Celebration. SAVE when you purchase all three commemorative hot plates.

$2.00

American Bicentennial Commemorative Hot Plate Set

SAVE when you purchase all three commemorative hot plates: Set includes "Washington Crossing the Delaware" by Emanuel Leutze, "The Spirit of '76" by A.M. Willard, and "Betsy Ross and the First Stars and Stripes" by John Ward Dunsmore. Cork backing. 6 inches in diameter. Produced and sold for America's Bicentennial Celebration.